Easy Money
Nigerian Scam
Scam: A wealthy foreigner who needs help moving millions of dollars from his homeland promises a hefty percentage of this fortune as a reward for assisting him.
I'm sure most of you have heard of this, but once again the local news is warning viewers to be cautious and avoid falling for this scam.
People have to be warned about this? The following is an actual excerpt from an email from Nigeria requesting help in removing $21,000,000 from the country.
WE ARE TOP OFFICIAL OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CONTRACT REVIEW PANEL WHO ARE INTERESTED IN IMPORATION OF GOODS INTO OUR COUNTRY WITH FUNDS WHICH ARE PRESENTLY TRAPPED IN NIGERIA. IN ORDER TO COMMENCE THIS BUSINESS WE SOLICIT YOUR ASSISTANCE TO ENABLE US TRANSFER INTO YOUR ACCOUNT THE SAID TRAPPED FUNDS.
Well, that certainly sounds official and trustworthy to me. What's amazing is that the scam keeps coming back around (its been going on since the late 80's). That means there are people out there who believe that they have received an unsolicited email offering to share millions of dollars with them if they'll just send a couple of thousand to Nigeria to help cover transporting fees etc. Happens all the time!
Of course, we all want easy money. The silliest thing I ever tried for some easy cash was oil futures in the commodity market. Didn't make a dime but did get to show a loss on the capital gains portion of my taxes which helped me get a larger refund (which didn't even come close to offsetting what I lost.)
So have any of you ever been scamed or tried to make a little extra cash the quick way? I don't think I'd fall for any get rich quick scheme (of course if you know of one that works email me).
Would you?
posted by Death Warmed Over | 8:49 PM
16 Comment:
i like the choice of picture. accurate indeed!
The only get-rich-quick scam that I've fallen for are slot machines and lottery tickets. (still not rich)
I tried the get-rich-quick scheme that some folks call full-time corporate employment, but I saw through the charade and left it behind.
-- david
I suppose if there were one that worked, I'd be rich. But actually, I can't think of any in my life. I live paycheck to paycheck so anyone asking me to invest in anything that isn't safe can take a hike. I don't even play the lottery. I even stopped investing in my son's college fund because his private school costs too much. So I pick things with almost sure returns. Money is so easy to lose and so hard to get.
I always like to enter these online poker tournaments with 8000 entrants thinking I could win that 5000 first prize and from there who knows!?! but I uh....never do, but at least I've never lost money playing poker, but I've only made a little, not getting rich quick.
That's a good one, Freshwater -- the "Get Rich Slowly" scheme!
-- david
Fatty-yes, she, and her ex friend, are probably the epitome of weatlh with pointless existence
OMW-I hate lotto tickets. You buy one and fundementally you know your not going to win but you still spend the rest of the week thinking what if, and as you compare your numbers to the winning ones, your heart beats a little faster until you realise your a looser again. Once I had the first two numbers right, and for a moment thought Id won but...I think two numbers was 30 dollars. A cousins kiss.
David-corporate employment is the new plantation. You just think you left it behind. Buwahahahahah.
EOTR-I've lived paycheck to paycheck which is really a msnomer because there is never enough paycheck. Money is like water, the tighter you squeeze your hand, the more runs through your fingers.
fresh-and whats with celebrity televised poker. I get to watch people with more money than Ill ever have play to win money they dont need and that Ill never get. Good times, good times.
David-I'm on the get poor quickly scheme and am quite successful. Thinking about writing a book. "The impoverished neighbor next door."
Funny I read this the other day but didn't answer because the answer was no. Then I got this strange e-mail from the 'Rev. Fr Peter Clark'. He is supposedely with Special Duties United Nations. According to him there is $10 million waiting for me in the International Monetary fund, World Bank. They will send it to me in the Mail!!!! (of all things!) in a security proof box weighing 75kg. I guess since I would be recieving it throught the mail no-one will know I have it....I can bury it in my yard and I won't have to pay any taxes. Of course....the IRS might notice it when I suddenly buy my mansion. I guess I will have to move to Mexico or something. Anyway, all I have to do to recieve the money is to agree to donate $5oo,ooo to a charity of his choice. But I need to hurry up and respond! Apparently there are people right now exhorting my money. I can e-mail him to find out how to get it sent to me or I can call him in Senegal.
I know that it is complete crap! But even thoughI know, still I would like to e-mail them just to know what they would say. It's so tempting except I know that if I do my amount of Spam will increase by 100 fold. But it is so tempting.....you know.......just in case!
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Oops! My computer was slow and I thought that nothing was happening and accidently posted my comment 3 times.
BBE-don't worry I'm sure its all true! There was a blog or maybe web site I ran across once where a guy would mess with these crooks through the email. He would pretend to wire money to them then post the emails they sent back and forth. I meant to bookmark it but forgot and havent been able to find it again but it was hilarious.
Of course he had more free time then I have!
I have recieved countless "get rich quick" emails of this nature, but so far none has been good enough to fool me.
Although I did lose a paltry sum through online poker. (Just to try it out.)
I just got a new one today in e-mail that made me think of you and this post. Supposedly, I won a lottery in the Netherlands for $1.3 billion. All I need to do is send in some personal information ...
-- david
Hey, your Nigerian officials knew how to spell! Most of mine don't.
I remember getting an actual typed letter (how quaint) back in the dawn of the Computer Age.
The internet is a boon to scammers....I can't believe people fall for it either, they almost deserve to lose money.
Oh, just read the rest of the comments - there's a couple of sites I've seen where someone chronicles their toying with scammers and collects checks and photos. One is the administrator of Saabnet.com (ultimate place for Saab geeks) - you can find his stories there.
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